Moab, Arches, and Canyonlands

Moab, Utah is a gateway city to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Because of the opportunities for outdoor recreation in a stunning natural setting, Moab, Utah is known for mountain bike riding, hiking, river rafting, motorcycling, ATV riding, Jeep trails, climbing, and canyoneering.

Canyonlands National Park

Canyonlands is divided into 3 areas delineated by the Colorado and Green Rivers. The Green River is in the distance, Island in the Sky in the foreground, and The Maze in the far background. The Needles is south of the Colorado River.

Island in the Sky

We enjoyed the numerous short hikes and vistas. The colors are brilliant.

Mesa Arch. There was snow on the La Sal mountains in the distance.

The Island in the Sky had numerous pullouts offering stunning vistas on sheer sandstone cliffs overlooking the canyon floors.

Shafer Canyon/White Rim Trail

 

What an amazing dirt road. Lots of switchbacks, steep, sheer drop offs, and astonishing views.

Gooseneck overlook of the Colorado River.

Musselman arch.

White rim road is a 71 mile long unpaved four-wheel drive trail. It was made in the 1950s by the Atomic Energy Commission to provide access for prospectors to mine uranium deposits. Little uranium was found, so the mines were abandoned.

Paintbrush, Cave Primrose, Fremont Barberry, and Claretcup.

The Needles

It was a long but beautiful drive from Moab, Utah to The Needles.

Years ago, a huge salt layer was left by ancient seas. Over time, coastal sand dunes buried the salt. The salt layer flowed, fracturing the sandstone into a grid-like pattern. Years of erosion formed The Needles.

Newspaper Rock

Its one of the best petroglyph panels we had seen. Newspaper Rock records about 2,000 years of historic peoples.

Wooden Shoe Arch

Roadside Ruin

Around 950 AD, the Colorado Mesa Verde population expanded into the area. The Puebloans were primarily farmers. They grew corn, squash, and beans. Because of drought, the Puebloans moved southeast.

Arches National Park

There are over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. It has the densest concentration of arches in the world. Arches is under constant change. Since 1977, 43 arches have collapsed.

The arches occur because of the same salt bed that formed The Needles, thousands of feet thick that was deposited 300 million years ago. On top of it Navajo Sandstone, then Estrada Sandstone were deposited.

In areas the salt layers pushed up into domes causing the rock to crack and form series of parallel rows of rock fins. Water and ice seeping into fissures in the fins broke off pieces of rock leaving the Estrada Sandstone behind as arches.

There were an insane number of arches.

Rock Art

The rock art is scattered throughout the area. Pictographs are painted and petroglyphs are pecked or chiseled images.

Food Scene in Moab, Utah

In every area we visit, we explore the numerous restaurants, cafes, breweries, and wineries. Moab, Utah had a little of everything.

Moab Brewery

The brewery has been around for awhile, very popular, but a bit dated. Their beers and food were good.

Castle Creek Winery

Their grapes are grown in Moab and Colorado. Overall, not bad wine. They have numerous restored trucks on their property. Really liked their International Harvesters.

Dinosaur Tracks

Only a short hike near the Colorado River to see these footprints of the three-toed feet of an Allosaurus, a predator.

Something other than Rocks

Ravens and Magpies.

Fremont Barberry, Indian Paintbrush, Silvery Saphora, and Biscuitroot.

We really enjoyed Moab, Utah. There was so much to see and do, we could easily return.